Alfred john gairing



(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet 1.

A; J. GAIRING.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY DEVICE.

No. 585,267. Patented June 29,1897.

WITNESSES: IN VEINTOH" W ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. A. J. GAIRING. ELECTRIC TROLLEY DEVICE.

No. 585,267. Patented June 29,1897.

WITNESSES INVENTOH X, m/um B) AITOHNEJ).

l ms 00. Pumuunm, wnsmuaroma a NITF TATES ALFRED JOHN-GAIRING, OFJOHNSTOIVN,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-TROLLEY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,267, dated June 29,1897. Application filed December 26, 1896. Serial No. 617,097. (Nomodel.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED J OHN GAIRING, a resident of J ohnstown,Oambria county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric-'lrolley Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to trolley devices of the class used onelectric-railway vehicles to make traveling contact with a suspendedconductor, and has for its object the provision of a strong and durabledevice that will readily contact with the conductor in each of itsvariable positions relative to the vehicle, that will very rarely breakthe normal contact with the conductor, but in case of such accidentalbreakage of contact will at once fall down to a position in which nodamage can be done to it or to span-wires or other parts of theconductor construction, and that will have other advantageous featuresto be hereinafter pointed out.

To these ends my invention consists in an improved form of lazy-tongstrolley and in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts as I am about to describe, due reference being had to thedrawlngs.

Referring thereto, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side and end viewsof one of my improved trolley devices. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sideand end views of the lower parts thereof with portions broken away. Fig.5 is a side view of the contact-wheel. Fig. 6 is an end view of thecontact-wheel, yoke, &c., mounted on their respective shafts. Fig. 7 isa side view of the lower end of one of the B arms, showing part of itsconnection with the tension devices. Fig. 8 is a plan view of thetrolley-base.

Above the roof of the vehicle is secured in any suitable manner the baseA, preferably a casting of substantiallythe design shown. Upon this arethe four parallel lugs a, a a and a b is a bolt secured, as shown, tolug a and extending through said lug through the lower end of the arms Band E the flange a and ends within one side of the stiffener-guide O. Inthis manner the said bolt acts as a pivot for the arms B and B and helpsto support and pivot the guide 0. The bolt b is secured to lug a andserves to pivot arms B and B entering the other side of the guide 0.

Secured at a a, beneath the base A, are the ribbon-springs D D, havingdogs (1 d thereon, the V-shaped tops of which engage indentations in thecam-face of C. Slidable vertically in O is the post E, having the squarehead F, which is connected by pivotally-secured links G G to the arms B,B B and B The arms B, B .13 and B pivoted about 1) and 11 as alreadypointed out, have angular extensions below their pivoting-points, inwhich are curved slot-s (shown clearly in Fig. 7) through which passpins secured between bars H H. Secured to the ends of the bars H H aretension-springs J J, one end of which is secured to nuts securedaboutbolts K K near the ends of said bolts. The other ends of K K are securedbetween flanges a on the base A by nuts. The usual nuts for ad justingthe tension of the springs are also used.

The use of the curved slots allow of an equalization ofthe upwardpressure against the conductor, for as the tension of the springsincrease it is evident that the pins between bars H H slip upwardly inthe slots, thus reducing the leverage upon the upper parts of the armsas the springs grow stronger.

The upper ends of B and B are pivoted to a casting M, to which aresecured the lower ends of the-bars L and L B, B, L, and L are similarlysecured. B and B are also secured together for further rigidity,.asshown clearly in Fig. 4, by a connecting-bolt just above thepivoting-point, and a tube is inserted between the arms and the links GG to prevent lateral swaying of the arms. 13 and B are similarly securedtogether.

The four L bars form a framework, L and L being bent at their tops to asubstantially vertical position and fastened together, while L and L aresimilarly bent and fastened together.

N is a transverse shaft, secured at itsends to the top of the frameworkand having about it the slidable wheel 0. I prefer to insulate the shaftN from the other portions of the device and I also prefer to insertbetween the wheel 0 and the shaft N a bushing P, made of insulatingmaterial, such as rawhide. I

ICO

do not, however, claim such insulation as an. invention of mine, as suchforms no part thereof.

R is a yoke which secures together the wheel 0, the bushing P, and thecollectingsprings 7r h. R slides transversely with the wheel 0 andprevents oblique movement of the wheel by surrounding at its lower endthe auxiliary shaft Secured to each side of the wheel 0 is one end of acord 0', which passes around pulleys 1" 1", and is secured at 0' tocords r "r which extend to any desired operating location.

The action of my improved device and the advantages thereof may now beclearly seen.

The springs J J, acting upon the lower ends of the 1% arms, tend tobring the upper ends of said arms toward each other, so producing aconstant upward pressure between the contact-wheel and the conductor,and the change able leverage caused by the introduction of the curvedslots in the lower ends of said arms in turn causes a substantially evenpressure between the wheel and the conductor at all of the positionswhich the device may assume. If by any accident the contact-wheel leavesthe conductor, there is no danger of harm being done to the trolley orto the conductor connections on account of my improved supportingdevice, for any unusual strain will act through the B arms to the postE, thence to the guide 0, which will force the cam-face of C over thedepressible dogs (Z (Z. The use of the post E and the connectionstherefrom to the B arms also prevents any swaying of the device as itmoves through the air, thus making a device that is more durable and acontact with the conductor that is more regular than would otherwise bepossible.

As the trolley remains in the same position for either direction oftravel it need not be removed from the conductor when the direction oftravel is to be reversed, saving the annoyances incident to suchreversal. Moreover as the device may be placed centrally with thevehicle the necessity for lateral -variation in the position of theconductor is dispensed with.

The novel arrangement of the ropes from the contact-wheel allow of easyadjustment and prevent any kinking of the rope, which otherwise occursas the wheel slides along its shaft.

I wish to be clearly understood as notlimiting myself to the precisedetails of construction, arrangement, or combination of parts as hereinshown and described, as many modiiications may be made without departingoutside the scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to protect byLcttors Patent, is

1. In an electric-trolley device, the combination of a base, transversepins secured thereto in the same horizontal and transverse planes,aplurality of convergingarms pivoted near their lower end about each ofsaid pins and constituting sides of a lazy-tongs, pivot-al connectionsat the upper ends of the arm with the upper sides of the lazy-tongs, andspring devices connected to the lower sides below their pivotal points.

2. In an electrictrolley device, the combination of a base havingupwardly-extending flanges, pins secured between said flanges and havinga common transverse axis, a plurality of arms pivoted about each pin andforming one of the lower sides of the lazytongs, and a yieldingly-heldsupport pivoted about the said transverse axis.

3. In an electric-trolley device, the combination of a lazy-ton gs framecarrying a transverse shaft in proximity to the conductor and having aplurality of diverging members forming each of its four sides, the twolower sides being pivoted near their lower ends about a commontransverse axis, and spring devices secured to each of said lower sidesbelow its pivotal point.

t. In an electric-trolley device, in combination with divergingupwardly-pressed arms, a guide, a post adapted to slide in said guide,and pivotal connections from the post to the diverging arms.

5. In an electric-trolley device, in combination, a lazy-tongs framesuitably secured upon a vehicle, a post vertically slidable through asuitable guide supported by the vehicle, and pivotally-securedconnections between said post and the lower arms of said frame.

6. In an electric-trolley device, the combination of a base, aplate-spring secured be neath the base at each end thereof, a dogrigidly secured to said spring, and a pivoted, cam-faced block having anindentation adapted to receive said dog.

7. In an electric-trolley device, in combination, a lazy-tongs framesecured upon a vehicle, pivotally-secured connections from the lowerarms of said frame to a post vertically slidable through a pivotedguide, and indentations in the cam-face on the lower side of said guide,said indentations engaging suitable dogs projecting from horizontalsprings.

8. In a device for imparting upward pressure to the upper end of atrolley-arm, a curved slot in said arm below its pivotingpoint, a pinsecured through said slot and adapted to move therein toward thepivoting-point of the arm as the upper end of the arm is lowered, andconnections from the said pin to suitable spring devices.

9. In an electric-trolley device, in combination, a plurality of armsforming the diverging lower sides of a lazy-tongs, said arms beingpivoted on transverse axes near their lower ends, a curved slot in eachof said arms below their pivoting-points, and pins passing through saidslots and secured to the ends of springs, all substantially as, and forthe purpose, set forth.

10. In an electric-trolley device, the combination of a transverse shaftand a contact 12. In an electric-trolley device, a transverse shaftcarried by said device, a contactinaker movable along said shaft, a cordor other flexible connector secured to each side of the contact-maker,means, as the fourpulleys r r, to keep said cord ata substantially evendegree of tautness, and suitable connections as r 1- from said cord toany desired location.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED JOHN GAIRING.

Witnesses:

W. S. SHERIDAN, H. W. SMITH.

